Edible Radish Seed Pods

Letting plants go to seed can be rough — but radish seed pods are an exception.

By Jan Ganus

| June/July 2012

Enjoy crisp radish pods in stir-fries or even raw in salads.

PHOTO: RICK WETHERBEE

Fresh young radish seed pods are delicious raw or stir-fried. They are one of our favorite treats from the garden. I let some of my radishes go to seed (any kind of radish works fine). One radish plant gives me hundreds of pods, and the flowers are pretty. If you let some of the radish pods fully ripen and drop seed, you’ll get volunteers the next year. In our climate, one spring planting gives us pods into late September, but you could replant a few every month for insurance.

Radish seed pods stay tender and crisp until they’re surprisingly large and filled out. They have a nice radish bite but don’t become hot and pithy like the roots can, even in hot weather. The radish pods can be used anywhere you’d use snap peas. In fact, the two of them together are wonderful, both raw and cooked. Enjoy!

Jan GanusWaukesha, Wisconsin

You can find the special “podding” radish variety called ‘Rat’s Tail’ at Bountiful Gardens. — MOTHER EARTH NEWS

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